Trim back hops now?

[wfeddern]

I have neglected my 3rd year hop plants dealing with family/myself going through flu and colds the past few weeks. Now they are growing fairly well, but are a big tangled mess, as I didn't have them trained to posts yet.

I did my best to trim a bit and get them climbing posts, but am wondering if its too late in the season to just trim back to the ground and then only let 4 or 5 shoots from each root cluster to start again.

 

[jessox80]

I think that a third year plant would be able to send up another round of shoots (especially with if you fertilize after cutting), but I am unfamiliar with your seasonal patterns. Would the newer bines still have a good growing season? How much earlier would you have cut if you'd had the chance, weeks or months?
Another tactic, if you are worried that it is too late, would be to cut maybe half of the shoots of one plant at the base in the morning and then return after the dead shoots are distinct and a bit easier to remove.

 

[wfeddern]

I am in southwestern ontario. Last few years I was harvesting sometime in September, so that still gives them a good 4 months to grow. Leaning towards just cutting them all back to the ground again.

 

[B-Hoppy]

When they end up that far out of control, it's very difficult to thin things while trying to save certain vines. When untangling them you usually end up breaking the ones you want to try to save. It's very frustrating. If the plant was growing in a healthy environment for the past few years you'll have plenty of new vines to train after you remove the existing vegetation. I can't say that the harvest will be as good as if you'd have tended to it better up to this point, but it should have plenty of time and energy to throw up new shoots and give you a harvest. This is the reason I've thinned out my plants to a manageable number. Live and learn - but don't sweat it! Good luck.